1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices designed for the amusement and exercise of cats, and more particularly, the invention pertains to a cat toy device having a magnetically actuated pendulum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cats are predatory creatures with precision tuned hunting skills. In the wild, cats chase their prey which may run in erratic patterns in an effort to make an escape. Unfortunately for the prey, cats are well adapted to following these wild movements, and eventually catch their intended targets. However, once the prey is caught, it is known that cats do not typically kill it right away, but rather toy with it for a while.
The cat's love for play is well known and often observed by cat owners. However, the domestic environment does not offer cats many chances to use their hunting skills. In the absence of such opportunities, the cat may become frustrated and perhaps even develop related illnesses. In order to avoid such problems, as well as provide a source of entertainment for the pet owner, many find it helpful to interact with their pets. There may be times when the owner does not have time or energy to play with their pets, and so may opt to purchase an animated toy as a substitute.
Many toys are currently available on the market for the amusement and exercise of cats. Some examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,940,018, 5,119,001, 4,517,922, 4,391,224, 2,096,078, and 3,295,499. Many of these devices are composed of passive cat toys suspended from a string such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,499 issued to Manchester which is comprised of a ball suspended from a string designed for the cat to paw. A mechanical toy is illustrated in Moore et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,001, which is composed of an electric, gear driven, frequency controlled oscillating device that oscillates a toy which is again suspended from a cord.
While these toys provide amusement and exercise, their repetitious motion can become very predictable to the cat, and potentially cause the cat to lose interest. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a toy that has unpredictable motion which would be more challenging and stimulating for the cat. Such erratic movement would mimic those maneuvers that the cat's prey may use in the wild in order to facilitate its escape. These exercises would help keep the cat's instinctive hunting skills sharp and physically fit.
Furthermore, selectable attachments would enable the cat to play with many different kinds of toys. Such a feature would offer more of a variety to the cat similar to the different types of game that the cat would normally chase.
Moreover, it would be favorable to have a toy that could match the cat's dexterity as it ages and its responsiveness diminishes. Currently, many of the toys on the market are directed towards kittens and younger cats, and there is less available for the more mature cat. Such a device would provide great entertainment as well as exercise both of which are beneficial to the cat's health and well being.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the cat toy device of the present invention solves all of the aforementioned problems and employs a number of novel features that render it highly advantageous over the prior art.